Funding For Subway Station ADA-Accessibility Approved

April 26th, 2018

The MTA Board approved a capital plan amendment that significantly increases the agency’s investment in ADA accessibility projects as part of the 2015-2019 MTA capital plan. The amendment also includes $300 million to undertake critical station improvements – in close partnership with the City of New York – at key locations, including $200 million for accessibility enhancements such as elevators, and $100 million for station circulation enhancements such as redesigned stairs, mezzanines and platforms. A project to provide ADA accessibility at the Westchester Square station on the 6 line in the Bronx will also be added to the Capital Program. The list of additional stations that ultimately receive accessibility and circulation improvements using this funding will be finalized once better cost estimates are obtained during design. Up to five stations may receive these accessibility and circulation improvements.

“We are putting an increased focus on accessibility with all of our planning moving forward, and this plan amendment is a direct result of that promise,” said MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota. “We have a lot more work to do but this plan amendment – as well as our Board working group on accessibility and the commitment of NYC Transit President Andy Byford – demonstrate our commitment to accessibility for all of our customers.”

In addition to theplan amendment, 17 other stations are being made fully ADA-accessible in the 2015-2019 capital plan:

Bedford Pk Blvd on the B/D line in the Bronx

Gun Hill Rd on the 5 line in the Bronx

149 St-Grand Concourse on the 4 line in the Bronx

149 St-Grand Concourse on the 2/5 line in the Bronx

86 St on the R line in Brooklyn

Bedford Av on the L line in Brooklyn

Greenpoint Av on the G line in Brooklyn

Eastern Pkwy-Bklyn Museum on the 2/3 line in Brooklyn

Rockaway Pkwy on the L line in Brooklyn

59 St on the N/R line in Brooklyn

95 St on the R line in Brooklyn

1 Av on the L line in Manhattan

Chambers St on the J/Z line in Manhattan

Times Sq-42 St on the S shuttle in Manhattan

Astoria Blvd on the N/W line in Queens

Court Square on the G line in Queens

Woodhaven Blvd on the J line in Queens

Nearly $5 billion has been invested to make subway stations ADA-accessible, including the nearly $1 billion already approved for the 2015-2019 MTA capital plan. The approved 2015-19 capital program also includes more than $400 million to replace 69 existing elevators and escalators for better reliability. Future capital plans will include funding for accessibility improvements to additional stations.

NYC Transit President Andy Byford previously announced a system-wide study is being conducted to catalog and analyze what would need to be done to make the system fully accessible, which will help the MTA and stakeholders identify particular stations for inclusion in the next capital program’s station elevator projects. As noted by MTA Chairman Joseph Lhota, an MTA Board task force has been formed to examine and address station accessibility. A separate task group is focused on Access-a-Ride.

Station improvement projects at two stations in Brooklyn have been added to the Capital Program to support operations while the L train tunnel between Brooklyn and Manhattan is closed for repair beginning April 2019. The Marcy Avenue station on the J/M/Z lines will receive enhanced stair capacity and platform widening, and Broadway Junction on the J/Z lines will receive additional stairs, as well as an expanded mezzanine.

Increased Signal and Track Funding As Part of Subway Action Plan

The amendment also includes funding of more than $300 million in signal and track work critical to enhancing reliability as part of the Subway Action Plan that was approved by the MTA Board in December 2017. The amended plan allocates funding for the Subway Action Plan, including $287 million worth of signal repair and modernization work, and $53 million for the installation of continuous welded rail (CWR), which is more reliable – and less prone to causing delays – than traditional rail.

The amended capital plan achieves savings from a below budget contract for the R211 class of new subway cars and allocating other costs to future capital plans to reflect when actual work is performed. The plan amendment voted on today does not require any additional funding to be requested.

The plan amendment also makes adjustments to remaining projects in the current capital plan to reflect refined project scopes, revised cost estimates, and updated project delivery times. For the East Side Access Project, approximately $418 million is shifted from the 2010-2014 capital plan to the 2015-2019 capital plan. Completion of East Side Access remains scheduled for 2022.